News Headlines - 13 December 2014

▽Congress narrowly averts government shutdown - CNN.com

Congress narrowly averted a government shutdown that was slated to take effect at midnight. The House approved a $1.1 trillion spending bill that keeps the government open through September. The Senate agreed to a two-day extension of current funding levels to give itself time to approve the House bill.

▽BBC News - MP Jim Murphy named Scottish Labour leader

Former UK cabinet minister Jim Murphy has been elected Scottish Labour leader, declaring it his "driving purpose" to end poverty and inequality.

▽Michael Fallon: Hundreds of British troops will go to Iraq - Telegraph

Hundreds of British troops will be sent to Iraq next month, Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, has announced, as the war against Islamic State enters a new phase.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Mr Fallon says the British service personnel will be training Iraqi and Kurdish forces to fight Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isil) from January.

▽Plane Chaos 'Unprecedented Systems Failure'

"In normal operations the number of workstations in use versus in standby fluctuates with the demands of the traffic being controlled.
"In this instance a transition between the two states caused a failure in the system which has not been seen before.

▽Pictured: Astonishingly well preserved 1,000 year old mummy to go on display for first time

More than 1,000 years ago, this 50-year-old woman was laid to rest in a ceremonial ritual in the ancient settlement of Pachacamac, near Lima, Peru. The mummified skeleton, which was found in a vast burial site just yards from the long-abandoned civilisation's temple, was discovered in a foetal position.